Media aide to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has alleged that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has been quietly sidelined within the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Ibe made the claim while reacting to the recent appointment of retired Major General Adeyinka Fadewa as Special Adviser on Homeland Security.
In a post shared on his X handle on Wednesday, the Atiku aide suggested that tensions had emerged between Tinubu and Ribadu, claiming the NSA’s influence within the government had diminished.
According to him, Ribadu’s alleged sidelining may not be unconnected to his recent trip to the United States, where he reportedly met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“It is no longer news that NSA Nuhu Ribadu has been quietly sidelined, and that a son of the soil, Retired Major General Adeyinka Famadewa, has been appointed in his stead as Special Adviser on Homeland Security à la US,” Ibe wrote.
He further claimed that the decision followed growing developments behind the scenes within the presidency.
“It is obvious, as revealed by Mohammed Bello Doka in his write-up, that a lot of water has passed under the bridge in taking this decision,” he stated.
Ibe also alleged that Ribadu’s US engagements and the publicity surrounding them may have worsened the situation.
“But it is being gathered that the final straw may have been Ribadu’s recent visit to the United States, during which he met VP JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his attempt to make a meal of that by having the news pictures published in multiple newspapers, knowing full well that his principal cannot travel to the US,” he added.
The Presidency and Ribadu have yet to officially respond to the claims as of the time of filing this report.
